Technology can be a great equalizer. For example, our free inventory software for small businesses makes time sinks turn into time savings. Harnessing the power of today’s increasingly affordable solutions can allow your small business to effectively compete with your much larger counterparts. Today, we are going to introduce several types of solutions you could be using to benefit your small business. Then, we’ll continue this series with a more indepth look at each type. If you have a small business and aren’t utilizing these tools, you are really missing out. Keep reading to learn more about the customer focused and back office solutions that can change the way you do business.
There are two key components to every business, those that are directly seen and used by the customer and those that operate behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly. They are equally important. You need tools that create a positive and professional first impression for your customers, but you also need tools that are capable of supporting your sales efforts. If either side fails, your business will suffer. The good news is that solutions are becoming more and more affordable, allowing even small businesses to achieve big time results. Take for example our free inventory software. It's a breeze to use and is free, now and forever.
Customer focused solutions include CRM, Point of Sale, ordering systems, customer retention/loyalty, and Marketing/New Customer Development solutions. Your customers are connected, and you need to be too. Harness the power of social media. Be prepared to take orders and process payments on the fly. Be able to identify your customers and tailor your offers to their needs and wants. A good CRM solution not only allows you to track customer data and your interactions with them, it can also allow you to track sales and create custom marketing. Advances in Point of Sale technology mean that even the kid trying to earn a little extra cash by helping out the neighbors can take credit cards.
Examples of back office technology would include employee scheduling/timesheet management, inventory management (did we mention we created the world's best free inventory software?), accounting software, integrated e-mail, calendar, and file sharing solutions. Your customers shouldn’t be the only ones you are connected to. Giving your employees the ability to see, schedule and share information seamlessly can really get your small business moving in the right direction. If you’ve been following our blog you’ve read our posts on process improvement. If you missed them, or just need a refresher, check back here. (link to process improvement) Using outdated technology can create huge bottlenecks in your processes. Don’t get bogged down because you think you can’t afford to keep up. You can’t afford not to! Check back with us soon, we’ll delve into specific solutions and provide some tips on choosing the ones that are best for your small business.
